


Let Slip the Dogs of War

by sullacat



Series: Across the Universe [6]
Category: Star Trek
Genre: Grief/Mourning, M/M, Married Couple, Revenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-01
Updated: 2012-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-21 04:04:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/593242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sullacat/pseuds/sullacat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim always lived his life on the edge. He never dreamed he could lose so much so fast.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let Slip the Dogs of War

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [deliciously angsty sad photos posted on today's Daily Doctor/Daily Captain](http://jim-and-bones.livejournal.com/584776.html) on (comm-locked but you should totally join for the pretteh). 
> 
> Takes place within my '[Across the Universe'](http://sullacat.livejournal.com/87686.html#cutid2)-verse, but it is entirely standalone. I apologize to any and all for taking _The Search for Spock_ and bastardizing some of the details for my own nefariousness purposes.

Caesar's spirit, ranging for revenge,  
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,  
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice  
Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war.  
 _Julius Caesar_ (3.1.271) 

~*~*~

_San Francisco, 2281_

When Leonard got the news, he dropped the chart he was reviewing and ran out of the clinic as fast as he could. 

Joanna was sitting in the front room of their San Francisco apartment, dressed in her Starfleet engineering uniform and staring at an old photograph album. She looked up, her eyes puffy and red. "Daddy," she said, standing and walking toward him, sounding so much younger than her thirty years. "Oh Dad, what happened?" 

"I'm not sure, honey," he said, steeling himself inside before glancing down at the photographs. The four of them camping out at Yosemite when the kids were younger. Joanna's hair in two long braids, ruffling David's hair. _David._ "I gotta talk to Jim."

"He's upstairs," she said, squeezing his hand, looking at him with worried eyes. "He hasn't come down at all."

Leonard swallowed hard as he climbed the stairs, trying not to think about that message that changed their lives.

> Starfleet Intel 2281.334: David Marcus (DOB 2258.203) killed during attack on the Curie Research Station by Klingon renegade Kruge, Commander. Next of kin - James T Kirk, Cpt: notified. Remains being shipped to Earth. End message. 

It was too much to even think about. That bright little boy, Jim's eyes and smile along with Jim's temper. Smart as a whip, but he chose a different path from Jim and Starfleet. There had been some harsh words when David took a research position in the private sector, but the last three years had brought the family together again. Last Leonard heard, David was thinking about getting married in the next year or two, and they were all planning on getting together for Christmas on board the ship to celebrate his engagement..

Until this. 

Jim was sitting on their bed. Leonard moved toward him slowly, catching the glints of silver starting to show at Jim's temples, his hairline creeping higher with each year. He let out a breath when he saw the picture in Jim's hand - Carol, before her death, holding a tiny David on her lap. Leonard recognized that picture from David's bedside, after they took him in when she died. 

It was another moment before Jim spoke. "This is my fault."

"Stop it," Leonard moved to wrap an arm around Jim's shoulder. 

"No!" Jim pulled away, pushing Leonard at the same time. "This," he waved the picture in his hand, "this is because of me. My arrogance, my need to win at whatever cost. I killed Khan," he murmured bitterly to himself. "And they killed my son." Those blue eyes turned toward him and Leonard saw something dark and angry there, a wild look he hadn't seen in twenty-five years. "You gotta go."

It was at this time Leonard noticed Jim's small travel bag, packed and ready to go, on the side of their bed. He looked up. "What are you planning?" he asked cautiously. 

Jim stood, walking toward their closet. Pulling out a large travel bag, he tossed in on their bed, and began throwing Leonard's clothes into it. "I'm serious, Bones. Take your stuff and get out of here. He's gonna come looking for you, and I can't-"

"Stop."

"No, fuck you, I'm not letting you stay here when they could be-"

"Jim, don't make me do this-"

"Bones, are you listening to me?" Jim screamed, his voice breaking as he avoided Leonard's eyes. "They killed David because of my actions. What if Joanna's next? Or you?" Jim turned back to Leonard. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Jim turned back to their drawers, haphazardly grabbing at socks and underwear, throwing them into the bag. "Take her and go hide somewhere-"

 _Fuck._ But that turn of his head was all Leonard needed. Pulling out his hypospray, he closed his eyes and reached for Jim's shoulders. A quick spray to the side of his neck, and Leonard held onto Jim as the fight left his body. A flash of recognition in those blue eyes he loved, and then they closed. 

Leonard gently dropped Jim onto their bed, and covered him with a blanket. A few moments passed, holding Jim's hand and crying to himself before he began picking up his clothing strewn all over their bed. 

Then as Jim slept, he packed his bag before going downstairs to talk to Joanna.

~*~*~

Leonard was in the kitchen when Jim walked in later that afternoon, moving slow. "You hypoed me," he said quietly, rubbing his neck.

"I did," Leonard replied, handing Jim a mug of strong coffee.

"Haven't done that in a while..." Jim murmured, his hands wrapping around the warm mug. "Where's Jo?" he asked, looking up at Leonard with eyes so full of pain it hurt to look at him.

"On her way to Iowa. She's gonna tell your mother, if she hasn't heard already. After that they're going to-"

But Jim cut him off. "I don't want to know. Better that I don't know, in case..."

Leonard didn't want to think it might come to that, but then again, Jim was the tactician in the family. 

Taking two steps closer to Leonard, Jim rested their foreheads together. "I want you to go with them."

"No." 

"Bones - I _need_ you to go with them. "

Leonard answered with a soft kiss. "No."

Jim's face got hard and angry. "Don't make me order you."

"The _Enterprise_ is in space-dock for another two weeks. We're off the clock. You're not my captain right now, Jim. You're my husband." Leonard took a deep drink from his coffee. "And even if we were back up there, I'd disobey that order so fast it'd make your head spin." Leonard was wishing he'd thought to spike their coffee with some bourbon, but he needed his head clear right now. They both did. "You're not going without me." 

"Bones-" Jim just stared at him.

"No, Jim. You're not doing this alone."

"Dammit, Bones, I don't give a fuck about _me_. They're not coming after _me._ " Jim took a step back, looking at the Golden Gate bridge outside their kitchen window. "They're coming after the ones I love."

Leonard stepped behind Jim, wrapping his arms around him. "Even more reason for me to be next to you. David was mine too, Jim," Leonard felt the tears welling in his eyes, filling them but he willed them to stop. "He was mine, too."

Jim leaned back against Leonard, comfortable, familiar weight. "Thank you."

"For what?" Leonard asked, kissing the crinkles at Jim's eyes, getting deeper with each year. 

Jim turned to look at Leonard. "For loving him." 

He kissed Jim's cheek. "Couldn't help loving that boy." Leonard remembered when they found out about David, newly orphaned and needing his father. It had been a particularly low-point in their marriage, but they'd held on and worked through it. They took David to Iowa and Winona, healing that relationship as well. "I want to find who did this, Jim," he murmured. Leonard wasn't by nature a vengeful man, but this was his family, and all bets were off. "How do we do this." 

"We find a ship. I've made some inquiries," Jim glanced down at his padd. "Rather, I had a friend make some inquiries. Can't look like its one of us, they're expecting that." Starfleet understandably didn't want a renegade captain out there stirring up trouble. 

Leonard nodded. "Doesn't matter what the ship, we just need to get out there, find who did this." 

"You'll be court-martial," Jim said, his voice sounding old and weary.

Leonard's lips found Jim's forehead. "Won't be the first time," he told Jim.

~*~*~

It was dark when they approached the transporter bay. Jim took Leonard's hand as they beamed up to space-dock, the years not making that experience any easier for Leonard. Those few who stopped them to offer Jim their condolences might have noticed the small travel bags each man carried, but none seemed to mention them.

Finally, they turned the corner into one of the lounges. "Where's your friend?" Leonard asked, eyes darting around. 

"Friend?" Jim turned his head at Spock's low voice, coming from a table behind him. "Is that how you categorize our relationship, Jim?" Spock and Nyota both stood, Nyota moving to put an arm around Jim, hug him tightly. 

"I'm so sorry," she whispered in his ear, and Leonard saw him leaning into that warm touch. 

Another glance at Spock, and Leonard noticed they both were in casual clothes, and had similar travel bags at their feet. Leonard immediately felt a sense of warmth toward them, even if this wasn't a good idea. 

But Jim had another reaction. "No."

Nyota stiffen next to Jim. "Listen," she began.

"No," Jim repeated, stepping back and looking at Leonard. "I don't even want him coming with me," he said, nodding in Leonard's direction. "No way I'm getting you two in trouble over this."

"You will not win this argument, Captain," Spock began, moving to stand next to Nyota. "Nor will you win this battle, not without your friends." Spock glanced at Leonard when he said that last word, and Jim couldn't help but smile. 

The four of them began walking down the corridor toward the shuttles, when Spock turned left and led them toward the ships. "Where are we going?" Jim whispered. 

"The _Enterprise_ ," Spock replied baldly, as they turned the corner and found themselves stepping across the gangplank onto the familiar corridors of their ship. "Logically speaking, it is the last ship they would expect us to take."

Jim's head hung. "I hate to tell you this, but the ship's not operational right now. Won't be for another two weeks."

"Aye, Captain, not so fast." Leonard turned his head at the same time Jim did, and saw a smirk he knew well on the face of their chief engineer. "She might not do warp eight, but she'll move fast enough for ya," Scotty said, Sulu and Chekov behind him. "My crew here's done a bang-up job."

Jim shook his head. "Look, Mr Scott, I appreciate this, but I can't have you-"

"With all due respect, Captain," Hikaru interrupted. "We're not letting you go alone." 

"They hurt our family," Chekov added. "We can't let that go unanswered."

 _Family._ Leonard watched Jim carefully. His face was a myriad of emotions, from grief to anger to this look of disbelief. Leonard was about to say something about how dangerous this was going to be, how any of them that weren't killed might end up in some Starfleet brig, but deep down, Leonard knew that these guys knew that already. And they still chose to be here, with them. 

Jim nodded, looking each person in the face. "We'll need to head toward the Neutral Zone," he began, walking toward the bridge. "Someone there will give me Kruge, he's got just as many enemies as I do." He stopped, just as Scotty turned down toward Engineering. "This is the worst day of my life, guys, but-" Leonard saw Jim hesitate, strangely at a loss for words. "Thank you," he murmured, looking down, looking tired. 

"Aye, Captain," Scotty told him, those words enough for all of them right now. "There's some provisions in the galley, if anyone gets hungry," he added, then walked off. 

The rest of them walked toward the bridge, Leonard holding Jim back for one more moment alone as everyone else took their stations. "I love you," he whispered into Jim's ear. "Always will."

"I want to get that son of a bitch and then get home and bury my son. Make sure you're safe, Joanna's safe. That's all I want right now," Jim murmured into his shoulder. He looked up, something steely in Jim's eyes that Leonard hadn't ever seen before. Everything was different now, Leonard knew that, but closing his eyes for one more soft kiss before they let go of each other, Leonard was sure that they'd always have _this_.


End file.
